From a certain perspective, the pacifier is a sleep artifact. Many mothers introduce pacifiers when their babies are young for emotional comfort, and the baby falls asleep autonomously with the help of the pacifier.
Young children’s attachment to pacifiers can be traced back to the fetal sucking reflex in the womb, which is a mammalian survival instinct. The pacifier is a symbol of safety for the baby. When the baby is irritable and afraid, the pacifier can make him feel safe.
In addition, according to research, babies who use a pacifier while sleeping are three times less likely to suffer sudden death than babies who don’t. This is because a pacifier will keep your baby in a supine or side sleeping position, and will not increase the chance of sudden death because of the prone position.
However, looking at it another way, pacifiers can also be sleep poisons. Many babies are overly dependent on pacifiers, wake up frequently at night, and can’t go back to sleep without a pacifier.
Some opponents believe that when the baby sucks the pacifier, the baby will inhale a lot of air from the gap between the pacifier and the mouth, and the baby’s stomach capacity is limited. When there is too much air in the stomach, the stomach will contract and push the stomach contents out, causing the baby to overflow. Milk. If the pacifier is used for a long time, it will affect the development of the teeth of young children, resulting in the misalignment of the upper and lower teeth, resulting in an unsightly appearance of the lips.
There are still many controversies about pacifiers. Today, let’s talk about pacifiers.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) lists the pacifier as an important tool for reducing pain in infants under medical procedures, considers it an appropriate and economical option for premature infants, and recommends giving a pacifier to sleep in infants under 6 months of age to reduce sudden infant death happened.
Roy, an American pediatrician, believes that pacifiers promote the formation of benign breastfeeding habits, and pacifiers enable children to form self-soothing behaviors, allowing mothers to have more time to rest and recover from the exhaustion of childbirth and breastfeeding as soon as possible.
The Mayo Clinic recommends giving your baby a pacifier during naps or sleep until the age of 1. However, as the baby gets older, the risks of pacifier use outweigh the benefits, and pacifier use should be gradually discontinued between the ages of 2 and 4.
Pacifiers are used to aid sleep, not just to stop crying.
For small-month-old babies, crying in most cases is not a bad mood that we understand as adults, but their unique way of communication. In the first four months, slowly learn to understand the crying of the child, and slowly learn to make a correct response to the crying of the child. This is a compulsory course for every mother. In the process, we build a trusting relationship with our children.
However, babies under four months cry the most because they need to signal to us to start this compulsory lesson.
What we need to do is to first identify the reason behind the baby’s cry and respond accordingly. Putting a pacifier on the baby and gagging his mouth indiscriminately and quickly is tantamount to depriving him of the right to express his needs.
The use of the pacifier that is least likely to cause sleep associations is to let the baby suck it down and take it off to let him fall asleep on his own. When you wake up in the middle of the night, limit the use of pacifiers and try not to use them. Even if you use it, take it away when your baby calms down.
If you can’t do the above, you can put your baby to sleep on suction, but pay attention to if she falls asleep and falls out and won’t wake up, the pacifier will not cause sleep associations. If you fall asleep with a pacifier, don’t use a pacifier in the middle of the night, otherwise it will be easy to form sleep associations.
If the baby has to sleep on the pacifier all the way, and the pacifier will wake up when the pacifier is released, this is a serious pacifier dependence. In this case, the pacifier does not promote sleep, but interferes with sleep.
What we’ve seen is that under no circumstances should a pacifier be used on night awakenings. Or at least, cry when you wake up at night to calm your baby and take it away.
1) When the baby is born within 4-6 weeks, do not use a pacifier, but should suck more nipples to promote mother’s milk secretion and ensure more adequate breastfeeding.
2) Use the pacifier moderately when the baby falls asleep, and remove the pacifier when the baby falls asleep smoothly, so as not to affect the baby’s sleeping habits and tooth development.
3) When the baby is tired, bloated or is in an unfamiliar environment and is easily irritable or excited, a pacifier can be used at this time to help the baby stabilize his mood.
4) Clean and sterilize the pacifier daily to avoid introducing bacteria into your baby’s mouth.
1) Distract the baby’s attention
Because the pacifier itself is a substitute, parents can increase parent-child interaction or outdoor activities to let the child “unintentionally” forget the pacifier.
2) Control the usage time
Gradually reduce the use of the pacifier. For example, don’t let the baby use the pacifier during play during the day. Try to take the pacifier out when the baby is about to fall asleep, and don’t let the baby fall asleep.
3) Praise and encourage
When your baby gradually gives up using a pacifier, remember to praise it in time to positively reinforce this behavior. And solidify your baby’s behavior with small daily rewards and patient reminders, which will be more effective during the day.
4) Soothing towel instead
Pacifiers were introduced with future withdrawal in mind. A comforter can be introduced at the same time. In this case, after four months, the baby will be able to grasp, and will also be interested in the comforter. After discovering that your baby is interested in pacifiers, gradually reduce the use of pacifiers.
1) Read picture books about pacifier withdrawal
The main purpose of reading these picture books with your child is to make the child psychologically accept that he has grown up and it is time to say goodbye to the pacifier. This process is actually a brainwashing process. The picture book recommends “Nina’s Pacifier”.
2) Reduce the use of pacifiers
After reading the book, you can discuss with your child to reduce the use of pacifiers, when to use them, and when to use them. Assist the child to perform, and encourage and reward.
You can let him choose a magic baby to help him implement, it can be his usual favorite doll.
1) Discuss further with your child when they can not use it, and obtain the child’s consent. Assist the child to perform, and encourage and reward. You can let him choose a magic baby to help him implement, it can be his usual favorite doll.
2) Hide the pacifier and tell the child that the pacifier is lost and a new toy will accompany the child to sleep.
3) Cut a hole in the pacifier and tell him the pacifier is broken.
4) Hold a small celebration for the child.
5) If the child is completely weaned from the pacifier, don’t forget to hold a small celebration for him.
We will contact you within 1 working day, please pay attention to the email with the suffix “info@miyocar.com”.
